5 Signs That It’s Time to Quit Your Job and Become a Real Estate Agent November 30th, 2012

In this shaky economy very few people would consider it a good career move to change their job–let alone quit to become a real estate agent.
But there are a number of people who are doing just that. Why? What’s in it for them? Here are five reasons.
1. Lifeless Job
From the honeymoon period to burn-out, every job [...]

How to Kill a Sale: 7 Stupid Tactics November 30th, 2012

Buying and selling real estate in a recession is no easy task. You have to work hard. And your margin for error is a whole heck of a lot thinner than when things are good. I’ve been in real estate long enough to see my fair share of booms and busts. And I’ve been in [...]

7 Ways Real Estate Agents Can Beat a Winter Slump November 30th, 2012

Depending on where you live, from about October to March the real estate market slows down–if not altogether dries up. What can you do to make the most of these dead months?
Here are a few suggestions:
Have an Open-House Party
Open houses can be pretty lame. A pair of buyers or two milling around a home while [...]

Mobile Advertising: Should Real Estate Agents Use It? November 30th, 2012

More and more these days people are using mobile phones to search. They jump on the web to check out reviews, compare prices and even make purchases. Research supports this trend:

60% percent. That’s the percentage of customers who will review a product via their mobile before purchase (Digby Mobile Commerce and Engagement Stats)
51%. The percentage [...]

10 Common FSBO Mistakes November 29th, 2012

1. Concealing the property’s address
Buyers often drive by dozens of homes before coming up with a list of those they want to visit. If they can’t find your home, it may never get onto their short list.
2. Having an empty flyer box
Flyers lure buyers into your home, and help them remember its best features. They [...]

Tackling the FSBO Market November 29th, 2012

In the hot real estate market, FSBOs were overpricing homes hoping to jump on the quick-sale bandwagon. Those days are gone and, ironically, FSBOs are seeing the opposite now: Owners are underpricing their homes.
Why? “These sellers are using sites like Trulia and Zillow to price their homes,” says real estate trainer Will Weaver. “The problem [...]

Ten Tips to List More Expired Listings November 29th, 2012

1. Call them first. Early. However, hang on… Don’t try to schedule a listing appointment unless they’re absolutely ready (which is not that often). Remember, most expireds will not be too happy. About the market, about their previous agent, about the whole selling thing. They need a bit time. A little breather.

So simply ask to [...]

Expired Listings – The Fuel to Propel Your Real Estate Business November 29th, 2012

When I first wrote about For Sale By Owners (FSBO’s) last week, I started with a tongue in cheek story about how agents are typically scared of, and avoid, FSBO’s.  The story went on to point out that since FSBO’s typically don’t sell and end up listing with agents, the agents that ignore them cost [...]

The Story of the Real Estate Sales Agent and the FSBO (For Sale By Owner) November 29th, 2012

Once upon a time, in a beautiful place called (your market), there lived a very nice real estate sales agent named (your name).  And (your name) would do his/her best to help all the people in the land buy or sell their homes as best he/she could.
Well, one day, (your name) saw a house with a sign that said “FOR [...]

FSBO’s Continued: How to List and Sell For Sale by Owner’s November 28th, 2012

I’m going on the premise that you now realize FSBO’s need your service, based on reading my last post.
The problem is that FSBO’s don’t know this to be true.  It’s a little like an intervention where you know the person is hurting themselves, but they don’t think so, and they lash out at you for trying [...]

Objection Handlers for Expired’s and FSBO’s November 28th, 2012

EXPIRED:
We’re just going to take it off the market for now.
1. That makes sense.  And, I’m curious what will NOT being on the market accomplish for you?
*(The key is to ask this question, in a non-threatening way, and then don’t speak again until they answer that question.  They will tell you that they’re plans have [...]

Your Clients Don’t Know What You Know November 28th, 2012

One of the biggest blocks to good communication between people is the frame of reference, or point of view, people have when communicating.
Simply put, what’s going in your mind is most likely not going on in the person’s mind with whom you are communicating.  And, many people tend to think that everyone has their point [...]

The Single Biggest Problem/Challenge for Agents November 28th, 2012

The single biggest problem/challenge for agents is, hands down, time management.
Let’s face it, most agents got into real estate because they didn’t want to be tied down to a 9 to 5.  They wanted freedom.  They wanted to be able to come and go as they please.
So, that’s why if you’re reading this in your office [...]

8 Ways to Get Clients to Trust You With the Biggest Purchase Decision of Their Life November 28th, 2012

Recently I worked on a project in which clients were trying to sell $50,000 beach-front lots in Latin America in what amounted to a barn-burning email series. We sent four emails over the period of two weeks. The last two emails came within 24 hours of each other.
While it seemed to generate some serious interest [...]

How to Use a Major Life Events to Start a Cold-Call Conversation November 27th, 2012

The dreaded cold call. No real estate agent truly enjoys it. But it has to be done. And I’m not just talking about calling strangers out of the blue (although this will address that, too), I’m really talking about that call with just about anybody out of the blue.
It could be a past client. A [...]

Do Your Facebook Leads Suck? Here’s How to Change That November 27th, 2012

It’s not uncommon for real estate agents to join Facebook, create a fan page and then complain it doesn’t kick up any leads. You’re active in the community, get a lot of likes and shares and people generally love you–so what gives?
Well, here are a few easy strategies to consider.
1. Use Promoted Posts
One of the [...]

Debunking the Myth of Price Resistance in New Home Sales November 27th, 2012

In spite of what you heard, believe, or touted, selling a new home is not all about price. That’s a myth that has been promoted by new home salespeople who don’t recognize that customers are sold on value, not price.
“Value” means that they are paying a price they consider reasonable for what they’re getting. A [...]

A Discount is a Price Apology. What Are You Sorry For? November 27th, 2012

There are many times in your life when you need to apologize. Being a married man, I am quite certain of this reality. Sometimes, I admit, I’ve been wrong. Other times, I needed to keep the peace.
But in my work as a sales professional, I never apologize for the price on a property I am [...]

Digital Dozen November 27th, 2012

Let’s do a reality check. Here is a virtual snapshot of today’s new-home-sales environment:
• Customers are coming to the table armed to the teeth with information they primarily have gleaned online.
• New home sales have reached a tipping point. The transactional aspect of selling is quickly disappearing. While written contracts are still a dominant part of the [...]

How to Find, Hire, Train and Compensate a Telemarketer to Make Your Calls. June 1st, 2012

So you’re an insurance agent, real estate agent or other professional and you’re getting frustrated with your lead source. You’ve done direct mail where you’re getting less than a 1% return and other leads are either too expensive, shared with other agents or have just dried up.
And you know other agents that are having [...]

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